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Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)
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The Dhammapada for Awakening: A Commentary on Buddha's Practical Wisdom (Dharma for Awakening Collection) Kindle Edition

by Abbot George (Swami Nirmalananda Giri) (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 48 ratings

With a refreshing and timely perspective to ancient wisdom, Abbot George’s unique background shows seekers of inner peace how they can effectively lead a spiritual life in the modern world.

The Dhammapada for Awakening explores the Buddha's answers to the urgent questions, such as “How can I find find lasting peace, happiness and fulfillment that seems so elusive?” and “What can I do to avoid many of the miseries big and small that afflict all of us?”.

Drawing on the proven wisdom of different ancient traditions, and the contemporary masters of spiritual life, as well as his own studies and first-hand knowledge of the mystical traditions of East and West, to Abbot George illumines the practical wisdom of Buddha in the Dhammapada – and more importantly, and make that makes that teaching relevant to present day spiritual seekers.

The Dhammapada is the first collection of Gautama Buddha’s practical teachings for those seeking Nirvana, compiled only three months after his passing away by his enlightened disciples, who named it Dhammapada: The Way of Dharma. It is a distillation of forty-five years of the Buddha’s teaching.

Abbot George says of the Dhammapada, “Over and over in the teachings of Buddha we find that he is giving us only that which can be applied in our daily lives in order to fit ourselves for freedom from all that binds us.”

In The Dhammapada for Awakening you will learn:

  • An esoteric understanding of the mind and how to deal with it.
  • How we create our destinies by our thoughts and actions, and how we can use that knowledge to shape a better present and future for ourselves.
  • What are the obstacles to reaching our full potential, and how we can avoid those obstacles.

Whether a person is Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, simply spiritual, or merely discontent with the status quo of their lives, the universal spiritual principles in The Dhammapada for Awakening will prove helpful in empowering seekers to tread the path to Freedom, that they may become finders.

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  1. Part of series
    Dharma for Awakening Collection
  2. Print length
    337 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 29, 2014
  5. File size
    3.4 MB
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From the Publisher

Abbot George Burke

In his many pilgrimages to India, Abbot George had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma.

Christ of India cover
Praise from Readers

Abbot George’s writing is "as informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring"

–James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review

"[His] writing is well crafted and stocked with anecdotes, humor, literary references, and beautiful quotes... I found it entertaining as well as illuminating."

–Reverend Gerry Nangle, President, Johrei Fellowship

"Highly recommended for earnest spiritual aspirant, especially those who might need a prod to keep them moving."

–Anna Hourihan, Vedantic Shores Press.

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Abbot George Burke

(Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Abbot George is the founder and director of the Light of the Spirit Monastery (Atma Jyoti Ashram) in Cedar Crest, NM, USA.

He has been studying, teaching and writing on practical spiritual life for over 60 years.

He has written over 20 books on Meditation, Original Christianity, and Original Yoga, as well as the Dharma for Awakening Collection: commentaries on major scriptures of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Taoism and more,

Below are some of his best sellers:

  • Soham Yoga: Its Theory and Practice
  • The Christ of India
  • The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening
  • The Dhammapada for Awakening
  • The Gospel of Thomas for Awakening

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this compelling book, Abbot George Burke brings his considerable knowledge and background in Christian teachings and the Vedic tradition of India to convey a practical understanding of the teachings of the Buddha. ...This is a book you'll want to take your time to read and keep as reference to reread. Highly recommended for earnest spiritual aspirants, especially those who may need a prod to keep them moving forward."
--Anna Hourihan, author, editor, and publisher at Vedanta Shores Press

"This is a working commentary that often causes moments to pause, ponder, and reflect, inspiring long moments of meditation."
--Ryan J. Dejonghe, AMAZON TOP 1000 REVIEWER

"The writing is well crafted and stocked with anecdotes, humor, literary references and beautiful quotes from the Buddha. I found it to be entertaining as well as illuminating and have come to consider it a guide to daily living."
--Rev. Gerry Nangle

From the Author

Abbot George says of the Dhammapada, "Over and over in the teachings of Buddha we find that he is giving us only that which can be applied in our daily lives in order to fit ourselves for freedom from all that binds us."

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00P1D2U18
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Light of the Spirit Press (October 29, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 29, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 48 ratings

About the author

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Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

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Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) is the founder and director of the Atma Jyoti Ashram (Light of the Spirit Monastery) in Cedar Crest, New Mexico, USA.

In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was made a member of the ancient Swami Order by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharati Krishna Tirtha.

In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York.

For many years Swami Nirmalananda has researched the identity of Jesus Christ and his teachings with India and Sanatana Dharma, including Yoga. It is his conclusion that Jesus lived in India for most of his life, and was a yogi and Sanatana Dharma missionary to the West. After his resurrection he returned to India and lived the rest of his life in the Himalayas.

He is the author of a number of books on meditation and practical spiritual life, including Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self, The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening, The Gospel of Thomas for Awakening, May a Christian Believe in Reincarnation?, and The Christ of India: The Story of Original Christianity.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
48 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Garth J. Hallett
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very deep commentary
    Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I have read numerous translations of the Dhammapada, and was confident that I understood its basic message; but this inspired commentary has unveiled for me the profound depths hidden in the Buddha's words. I am very grateful for it. I am particularly impressed by the author's grasp of the role of Evil, which is to dis-empower and enslave mankind. A solid commitment to what's right doesn't end our fun, but rather our misery and bondage. It fulfills us and completes us. If I could add a 6th star here, I would.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Tachirah
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Authority, Great Topic
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    As a reader who is familiar with this author's work I was thrilled to learn that this book had just been published. I feel it may be premature to be reviewing it after only reading it once, as I intend to read it over and over again. There is no modern scholar who in my opinion has a better grasp of these topics than Abbot George. Highly recommended for the sincere seeker who is not content with labels, but wishes to understand. You will find no better living teacher than this one.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • 1blessedbabe
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Thanks
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  • Jeff
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and Practical
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I deeply appreciate Abbot George's writing style. I am familiar with many of his other writings, so I knew this would be an insightful, yet practical book. And it is. It is written with the authority of his experience and grace. I personally recommend it for those who are drawn to the subject. - Jeff Mathias
    3 people found this helpful
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  • AKT
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blessing Your Soul
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I LOVED THIS BOOK! I will keep it as a reference and re-read it from time to time.
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  • messr. a. biscuits
    5.0 out of 5 stars great to help understand buddhism
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    explains buddhism. fascinating. simplify the complex
    One person found this helpful
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  • Anna Hourihan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for earnest spiritual aspirants
    Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2014
    In this compelling book, Abbot George Burke brings his considerable knowledge and background in Christian teachings and the Vedic tradition of India to convey a practical understanding of the teachings of the Buddha.

    Having come originally from a Christian background and adopting Vedanta as my path, I appreciate the parallels and comparisons he draws to the Bhagavad Gita and the Holy Bible. Not surprisingly there are many similar or even identical teachings with the Bhagavad Gita since Buddha himself grew up and studied with the sadhus and sages in India.

    To illustrate some of the teachings and make them more real to us Abbot Burke uses examples drawn from his personal experience.

    The Dhammapada for Awakening is aptly titled. The author gives us the full impact of these teachings, as the Buddha intended, and does not gloss anything over. To illustrate, here’s an excerpt:
    “Occasions of hatred are certainly never settled by hatred. They are settled by freedom from hatred. This is the eternal law.” (Dhammapada 5).
    [Abbott Burke’s comment] "…That is the nature of the world. It is the violent ward of the lunatic asylum we call the universe. Everyone here is either an active or a recovering homicidal maniac. This is the truth."

    This is a book you’ll want to take your time to read and keep as reference to reread. Highly recommended for earnest spiritual aspirants, especially those who may need a prod to keep them moving forward.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • gnnmi
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Guide for Daily Living
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2014
    This book came to me as a gift. Frankly, I was a bit intimidated by the title and some of the vocabulary in the introduction, thinking I might have to try and memorize unfamiliar words and definitions to get through the book. This is not the case. You can pick it up and find practical ideas and guidance on any page, and the Buddhist terms add depth to the content, which gives perspective to many spiritual practices from the Buddhist viewpoint. At times the book does take some concentration, but the concepts are simple and practical. The writing is well crafted and stocked with anecdotes, humor, literary references and beautiful quotes from the Buddha. I found it to be entertaining as well as illuminating and have come to consider it a guide to daily living.
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Sam
    1.0 out of 5 stars Biased and misleading
    Reviewed in Singapore on December 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Though the book is well structured, the main narratives presented by the author and the ideas and concepts that shape them appear to be highly biased, and often misleading to the extent that they contradict the teachings of the Buddha as presented and explained by the authoritative Pāli Canon itself and by pretty much anyone else of repute.

    The author appears to be trying hard to squeeze the Dhammapada, and by extension the Buddhist teachings into frameworks defined by other religions, and to force concepts from other philosophies into Buddhism where no common ground exists. This is obvious right from early in the first chapter where the author tries to force ideas about the self and God into the Dhammapada in a simplistic and blunt manner that fails to shed light on the subtleties of the deeper explanations, for example in MN22 and other suttas that clearly explain why the concept of self comes into the suttas in the first place, i.e., to introduce the subtleties around the idea of not clinging to the concept of a self. The Girimananda Sutta talks about this in a little more detail, where the concept is explained clearly as something to be used a practical strategy or tool rather than being hung up with concepts of the self or not self and going around in circles.

    There are several other such viewpoints and contradictions scattered throughout the book which misrepresent Buddhist teachings, and these are apparent even from a very cursory glance at the rest of the book. This can be very confusing for people without some basic knowledge of Buddhism and one may even wonder whether this is intentional. In summary, this book is not recommended for anyone looking for a legitimate commentary on the Dhammapada.

    Edit: corrected grammar for clarity.
    Customer image
    Sam
    1.0 out of 5 stars
    Biased and misleading

    Reviewed in Singapore on December 31, 2022
    Though the book is well structured, the main narratives presented by the author and the ideas and concepts that shape them appear to be highly biased, and often misleading to the extent that they contradict the teachings of the Buddha as presented and explained by the authoritative Pāli Canon itself and by pretty much anyone else of repute.

    The author appears to be trying hard to squeeze the Dhammapada, and by extension the Buddhist teachings into frameworks defined by other religions, and to force concepts from other philosophies into Buddhism where no common ground exists. This is obvious right from early in the first chapter where the author tries to force ideas about the self and God into the Dhammapada in a simplistic and blunt manner that fails to shed light on the subtleties of the deeper explanations, for example in MN22 and other suttas that clearly explain why the concept of self comes into the suttas in the first place, i.e., to introduce the subtleties around the idea of not clinging to the concept of a self. The Girimananda Sutta talks about this in a little more detail, where the concept is explained clearly as something to be used a practical strategy or tool rather than being hung up with concepts of the self or not self and going around in circles.

    There are several other such viewpoints and contradictions scattered throughout the book which misrepresent Buddhist teachings, and these are apparent even from a very cursory glance at the rest of the book. This can be very confusing for people without some basic knowledge of Buddhism and one may even wonder whether this is intentional. In summary, this book is not recommended for anyone looking for a legitimate commentary on the Dhammapada.

    Edit: corrected grammar for clarity.
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